Billy Joel's Hamptons Beach Home

Billy Joel's fresh oceanfront digs has finally found a new owner.

The 5,500-square-foot home in Sagaponack—accompanied by a 145-foot stretch of private beach—has four bedrooms, seven baths, four fireplaces, and 180-degree ocean views through its glistening glass walls. It also comes with a two-car garage with a one-bedroom guest suite. The Piano Man initially purchased the home from late actor Roy Schneider, who built it back in 1993 as a place to raise his family. The residence's spectacular kitchen is all thanks to Joel's ex-wife, Kathy Lee—a chef and cookbook author who installed not one, but two Wolf ranges within it.

 Frank Lloyd Wright's Houston Home

The only Houston home ever conceptualized by highly acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the William Thaxton House—a 1954 Usonian designed to accommodate a servant-free lifestyle—was commissioned by insurance executive William Thaxton, who desired an artistic design for living and entertaining.

The home reflects a classic Usonian layout featuring small rooms that lead into a larger living room, designed to encourage family members to congregate and spend time with one another in the sizable center space.

Shaped as a parallelogram, the six-bedroom, seven-bath abode was originally only 1,800 square feet, though has grown into the 8,026-square-foot structure it is today over the years, gradually adapting to better fit the modern lifestyle. Lovingly restored by its current owners to closely match Wright's original creation, the gated home—currently priced at $3.195 million—sits on just over an acre.

On the Beach in Brooklyn

Located at the end of a cup-de-sac, this three-story gated home in Brooklyn rests on just over a quarter of an acre, and magnificently boasts 170 feet of private oceanfront, just a block away from Brighton Beach.

Along with three beds and four baths, the stunning 6,000-square-foot residence—on the market for $8 million—comes with a fireplace-appointed living room, a ground floor guest suite, a lounge and sauna, an eat-in chef's kitchen, and an infinity pool and spa with a cabana, a gazebo with a bar and BBQ station, and a two-car garage. The unique property's master suite has a private balcony, while its rooftop deck sports an "adult playroom" sweetened with a bar.

Hawaii Estate with Ties to Civil War Vet

This $24 million estate on the island of Kauai—sited on 200 acres—sports not one, not two, but three complete residences: the 2006 main house, the Cistern House, the 2004 Valley House, and the Gate House, a duplex currently acting as an office/guesthouse hybrid.

The tantalizing trifecta has served as a setting for many films, including Jurassic Park, Tropic Thunder, and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

Colorado Mega Mansion Auction

Sited on 72 acres, this 50,000-square-foot mansion known as Serenity Ridge has a total of 11 en suite bedrooms and four kitchens, not to mention a 3,000-square-foot library wing comprised of a library, a kitchenette, and workstation alcove, a conference room, a music room, an office, and two private decks.

Its master wing touts two master suites outfitted with silk carpets, an executive boardroom, and a master study complete with its own bar and fireplace. There's also a kitchenette, laundry facilities, his-and-hers closets, and terraces accessible via both masters. At the core of the gigantic property is an entertainment hub equipped with a home theater with a snack bar; a wine cellar with a wrought iron door; a family room; a custom cherry wood bar; and a sizable multi-purpose space. The structure also houses a two-lane bowling alley (accompanied by a full set of bowling shoes in all sizes), a lounge, and a nightclub with a stage. In addition, the estate's proportionately large indoor pool has changing rooms and bathrooms.

Previously listed at $22 million, the oversized home—along with all its furnishings and artwork—will be auctioned off no reserve on September 27th.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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Heidi Klum's Romantic Villa

Supermodel Heidi Klum just listed her 12,000-square-foot Tuscan-style estate in Brentwood, Los Angeles for $25 million.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel originally purchased the 8.4-acre property in 2010 as a foreclosure for just $14.2 million, and proceeded to upgrade the lovely, vine-covered villa by restoring its dated doors, thresholds, and windows; adding an extra master bath with a tub overlooking ocean views; installing closets she personally designed; and integrating smart technology into the home.

Along with eight bedrooms and 10 baths, the home has numerous formal rooms, a library, an eat-in chef's kitchen, a butler's pantry, a home office, a media room, a yoga area, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar complete with a tasting room. The property's grounds also house an infinity-edge pool and spa, a koi pond, a formal rose garden, fountains, gazebos, a golf putting green and driving range, several hiking trails, and a children's playhouse.

Rancho Santa Fe El Milagro

This 21,000-square-foot home located 25 miles north of San Diego in the tight-knit, affluent community of Rancho Santa Fe sits on nine acres and boasts seven bedrooms and eleven baths.

Its formal rooms can fit 30 seated dinner guests comfortably, while its large gourmet kitchen also has space for eight casual diners and five at the bar. In addition, the residence has a media room, a library, and a private gym, not to mention a 5,000-bottle wine cellar. Sited on its swath is also a guest casita, an 80-foot pool and spa, two outdoor cooking stations, a large citrus grove, a putting and chipping green, and a five-car garage with a large motor court. Previously listed at $19.995 million, the property is set to be auctioned off with no reserve on August 15th.

Elegant Lincoln Park Mansion

Situated on five lots in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, this classic Italianate mansion is currently Chicago's priciest property with an asking price of $18.75 million.

Erected in 1999, the stately listing's three-story main house has a warm and sophisticated interior composed of six beds and ten baths, as well as a movie theater, a library, a billiard room, six fireplaces, and a cook's kitchen that opens to a sizable family room. Outside there is a generous indoor pool and spa, along with terrace seating beneath a large pergola, surrounded by lush gardens embellished with climbing roses.

Sunset Strip Contemporary

Designed by Hazy Belzberg, this new listing in Hollywood Hills' Sunsey Plaza—presently priced at $28.8 million—offers 13,023 square feet of living space and immense privacy.

Encompassing eight bedrooms and nine baths, the resort-like, three-structure property includes a main house, a wellness center, and a guesthouse—all of which enjoy panoramic views of the city. It also has enough parking space for 30 cars.

Florida 1920s Carnegie Mansion

Commissioned by Andrew Carnegie's nephew, William, this Addison Mizner-inspired, Mediterranean-style residence boasts 8,170 square feet of living space including four bedrooms and four baths, plus five wood-burning fireplaces and a living room with a 22-foot high ceiling.

Among the historic homes noteworthy features are its ornately carved antique cypress beams; original mahogany, oak and heartwood pine flooring; a coral rock fireplace; and ironwork from Mizner’s own Palm Beach iron shop. The property's grounds are peppered with citrus, mango, and avocado trees, and leads down to more than 220 feet of waterfront in the form of a white sandy beach and a deep water dock. Currently priced at $4.995 million, the estate also comes with a heated pool and waterfall, a guesthouse, an art space, and an ice cream parlor adjacent to the billiards room.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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Meg Ryan's San Francisco Victorian

Actress Meg Ryan’s quaint gingerbread Victorian is on sale once again (though it is reportedly already in contract). Built in 1889 by Samuel Newsom, this six-bedroom, seven-bathroom house—which has been repeatedly used as a set for film, television, and commercials—still has its original peaked roofs and detailed ornamentation intact.

Priced at $8.995 million, the glamorous home has wide open rooms filled with light and neutral paint with a wide curving stairwell and light hardwood, immediately giving one a sense of airiness and space. There are wide views of the bay from all the main rooms and including the “pent room,” which functions as a spectacular room for enjoying the views from both inside and out through glass walls that open to another terrace.

Neutra-Maltzan Modern Two-Home Compound

Priced at $7.9 million, two hilltop homes nestled on five-and-a-half acres in La Cresenta, California—bordered by the Angeles National Forest—are now on the market.

The first residence—which measures in at 1,350 square feet and has two bedrooms, one bath and walls of glass—was built by Richard Neutra in 1953, and features a geometric and airy build. The second home—a modern seven-sided structure designed by Michael Maltzan—boasts glass polygon rooms that pivot off a central courtyard. Completed in 2009, the unique house—which is accompanied by artistic cactus gardens—was featured in Architectural Record the following year, and won three awards from the American Institute of Architects.

Connecticut Windmill House

A one-of-a-kind Dutch replica windmill at the edge of the Connecticut River can now be yours for $1.925 million.

Located in the historic waterfront town of Essex, this charming windmill—complete with wind blades—could be the ultimate weekend getaway or, with added cooking facilities, a full-time residence. Its wet bar, for instance, could easily be converted into a functional kitchenette with a few alterations. Built in 1967, the windmill has 840 square feet, three bedrooms, and one full bath. It also has a full, unfinished basement, accessible via a hatch. Every surface—from its wood floors, to walls and quaint stairwells—is in mint condition, making it move-in ready. The main living room opens out to a 360-degree, wraparound deck with gorgeous water views.

Meier on Rothschild Penthouses

The new Meier-on-Rothschild high-rise condominium tower caters to one’s need for space and luxury. Designed by Richard Meier, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and located in the epicenter of Tel Aviv’s commercial, cultural, and financial districts, the 42-story high-rise offers three elegant penthouses poised 522 feet above sea level and 456 feet above street level.

Residents of the three penthouses—which range from 6,534 square feet to over 15,000 square feet in size—enjoy the building’s amenities, which include a hospitality lounge, lobby, spa, wine cellar, lobby services, six subterranean levels for storage and parking, and a semi-Olympic sized swimming pool. Each of the penthouses—the highest in the city—has its own indoor pool, private indoor gym and spa, and a private elevator, as well as a 164-square-foot balcony with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea, Old Jaffa, the Judean Hills, and the busy urban scenery of Rothschild Boulevard.

Jon Bon Jovi's SoHo Penthouse

Located on the 12^th floor of the New Museum Building—one of the tallest structures in the Lower Manhattan area—rock star Jon Bon Jovi's 7,452-square-foot New York SoHo duplex is once again up for grabs. Previously asking $42 million, the furnished penthouse is now priced at $37.5 million.

Nearly every room in the musician’s pad is lined with huge glass walls and terraces—even the kitchen windows will have you looking instead of cooking. The lower level features family spaces with a great room, wood-burning fireplace, marble baths, dining area, and a gourmet kitchen. It also touts five bedrooms, including the master bedroom suite, which has rare arched windows.

The upper level includes formal living and dining rooms and access to the home's grand terraces, which feature lush landscaping and panoramic views of the city. The second floor also features a screening room, a guest room, a full bath, a powder room, and a second wood-burning fireplace.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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Shirley MacLaine's New Age Ranch

Priced at $18 million, Shirley MacLaine’s New Mexico Ranch—which the decorated actress fondly refers to as “Plaza Blanca”—is only an hour’s drive north of Sante Fe.

Poised on approximately 7,451 acres, the ranch's main house boasts nine bedrooms and six baths, a caretaker’s cottage, a swimming pool, two ponds, a horse barn, ranch buildings, equipment and a yurt. Situated beneath the 10,000-square-foot structure is an apartment that comprises a living room, a kitchen, and four bedrooms designed to resemble a Native American kiva. The property also features a greenhouse and a chicken coop, providing food year-round. Completely off-grid, the home is powered by solar panels and a wind generator.

San Francisco's Nirvana House

San Francisco architect and urban park planner Angela Danadjieva’s “Nirvana” house is now on the market for $7.5 million.

Designed to meld natural outdoor scenery with healthy, natural building materials such as Carnelian granite, redwood, cedar and glass for natural light, the house sits on a ridge outside San Francisco Bay in Tiburon’s Hill Haven area. Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island, and the San Francisco skyline, the eco-friendly abode measures in 4,500 square feet, and features a 10-foot indoor waterfall that maintains a healthy humidity and replacement of oxygen.

Among the four-bedroom, five-bath residence's features are a unique patterned sky roof of redwood and cedar; a sizable great room with 36-foot-tall windows; a total of 57 windows throughout the house, providing stunning views; and a stone patio that leads to a lawn overlooking the Bay. The property's entry has an electronically controlled gate with a stone driveway leading to the attached two-car garage.

Maryland Penderyn Auction  

This elegant 22,500-square-foot Georgian-style residence is nestled on an 18-acre peninsula jutting out into the Wye River, enveloped by a mile of waterfront on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The home's beautifully manicured grounds and 157-foot Bailey dock—which touts 11 slips, and conveniently awaits guests arriving by water—make the sprawling estate perfect for large garden parties and events.

Built with handmade bricks, the home has custom Palladian windows and French doors, as well as 11 handmade English chimneys. Its fireplaces have mantelpieces collected from country homes in England, except for the mantel in the family room, which was acquired from a 16th-century French monastery. The house features a two-story grand foyer, a 60-foot arched hallway, a drawing room, a music room, a conservatory with hand-painted vaulted ceiling and Chinese silk wall-coverings, a paneled billiard-family room, and a 22-seat formal dining room. Each of its eight bedrooms come with its own full bath, while its master suite has a separate reading area and an opulent master bathroom.

Previously priced at $9.95 million, the Chef Boyardee heir’s Georgian-styled estate will be auctioned with no reserve on July 19th.

Illinois Castle Home

Built in 1990 in the Chicago bedroom community of Marengo and tucked in between I-90 and State Highway 47, this magnificent castle—very privately situated on 39 acres of land—is being sold with 10 acres for $1.099 million.

Touting 8,500-square-feet of living space, the home has four bedrooms and six baths, along with a three-story great room and a stone fireplace. Its master suite has the surprising feature of a spiral staircase, which leads to the top of a turret terrace, while its generous kitchen boasts many windows that bathe the space in natural light, as well as a plethora of cabinets, ample counter space, and a sizable dining area. The property also comes with a pool, a wide patio, and a 10,000-square-foot heated barn with eight horse stalls. A greenhouse, vegetable, flower and fruit garden complete the lush compound.

Interested parties should take note of the standing option to purchase the whole 39-acre swath of land (for a negotiable sum).

JFK’s Palm Beach White House

John F. Kennedy’s Palm Beach White House, originally name “La Guerida,” was designed by society architect Addison Mizner in 1923.

Located on about 1.6 acres with 204 feet of oceanfront, the home has 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, formal and casual rooms, a tennis court, a swimming pool, and a four-car garage.

Previously priced at $120,000 in 1933 and $4.92 million in 1995, JFK's restored and updated property is now asking a whopping $38.5 million.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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Randy Travis' Laid-Back Adobe Estate

Grammy award-winning country singer Randy Travis' 19,339-square-foot estate in New Mexico is comprised of several adobe structures.

Its 8,750-square-foot main house features five bedrooms and eight baths, along with ten fireplaces, a fitness room, a chef's kitchen, hardwood flooring, a home theater, a library, an office, and a heated three-car garage. In close proximity to Santa Fe, the 220-acre property overlooks breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains, and boasts a barn, a guesthouse, a heated pool, an outdoor kitchen, and equestrian facilities. Among the structures' notable details are hand-carved doors, corbels, inlaid detailing, stitched leather ceilings, and vigas.

Ron Howard's All-American Family Home

American film director Ron Howard's 33-acre Converse Lake estate is just an hour away from New York City.

Photo by Daniel Milstein

Outfitted to accommodate the family's penchant for water sports, basketball, tennis, and horseback riding, as well as Howard's love for stargazing and his wife's green thumb, the Howards' property—located in the gated community of Conyers Farm, on the border of Greenwich, Connecticut and Armonk, New York—is now up for sale for $27.5 million. Its 17,200-square-foot traditional main house is comprised of six bedrooms, nine baths, formal rooms, an eat-in chef's kitchen, a library, a game room, a screening room, and a number of other living spaces, along with multiple porches and decks overlooking Converse Lake. Other noteworthy features include a two-bedroom guesthouse, a sports barn with a full-sized tennis court, paddocks and riding rings, hiking trails, and a greenhouse.

Roger Ferris-Designed Hamptons Beach Home

Currently listed at $13 million, this stunning, ultra-modern 6,000-square-foot home on Noyac-Peconic Bay in Sag Harbor has seven bedrooms and eight baths.

The waterfront wonder also touts two fireplaces, a cook's kitchen, a home theater, a wine-cellar grotto, a bonus room, a guest suite, a home office, and a three-car radiant heated parking space. Apart from the main house, the property also has a heated pool and cabana, outdoor shower, a guesthouse, and deeded beach access.

Detroit 1920s Celebrity Homes Auction

Through June 8th, the Michigan city—which is presently undergoing a palpable renaissance—is auctioning off 13 classic houses with a reserve of only $1,000.

Though they are all in need of a varying degrees of rehabilitation, the circa 1920s properties are brimming with character and exhibit phenomenal woodwork, stained glass, spacious rooms, high ceilings, and fireplaces. Situated in the well-maintained Boston Edison neighborhood—a coveted area to live in back in the day, once occupied by a number of notable figures, including Ty Cobb, Joe Louis, Walter O. Briggs, and Henry Ford.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Last Ohio Home

Commissioned by Louis Penfield and his wife in the mid-1950s, this Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was the legendary architect's last Ohio creation.

Completed in 1955, the 1,800-square-foot home has three bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, and the signature fireplace present in all of Wright's Usonians. Two other non-Wright homes also sit on the property: an 1867 cottage and a 1940 farmhouse. Located just outside of Cleveland, the 18.5-acre trio are now being sold for $1.7 million.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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Robin Williams' Napa Winery

The legendary funnyman's majestic home in the Mayacama Mountains—tucked between the Sonoma and Napa valleys—is nestled within 23 acres and olive groves. Among the incredible property's features are a natural pond, highly polished and maintained grounds, and remarkable views.

The estate, which is maintained by an on-site estate manager, has over a hundred olive trees, which can generate 30 to 50 gallons of oil every year. About 18.4 acres of vineyards produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc wines.

The barely-lived-in residence's 20,000-square-foot space includes five bedrooms, six full baths, five half baths, a library, a theater, an elevator, climate-controlled art and wine cellars, a bridge gallery, a viewing tower overlooking the Valley and three safe rooms. Outfitted with smart house technology, the residence also touts antique European stone terraces that are surrounded by sculpture gardens and pools, while its 65-foot infinity pool sits in the midst of lush lawns and landscaping. Invoking a Tuscan villa, the property also comes with a stable, and is connected to thousands of acres of Sugarloaf State Park.

George Washington Cousin's Farm

Long ago, the first U.S. president's first cousin, Warner Washington, bought a swath of land just north of Berryville, Virginia, just 60 minutes west of modern day D.C. He named the estate "Fairfield," and proceeded to built a lavish mansion on the thousand-acre lot. It touts twelve-and-a-half-foot ceilings, the five-bedroom, five-bath adobe has numerous formal rooms, a library and seven fireplaces. Its stone guest house—nicknamed "Little Clifton Manor"—has three bedrooms and its own library.

Nowadays the colonial estate is known as Clifton Farm, and sits on about 400 acres of the original Fairfield grounds. The Farm's facilities are fully operational for managing both cattle and horses (though interested parties should note that livestock are not included in the sale).

On June 3rd, the Farm's main residential structure, along with its livestock management buildings and guest home, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, who will become the fourth person to ever own the sprawling residence.

Pierre Koenig's Last Home Design

Legendary architect Pierre Koenig designed this oceanfront home for house collector and preservationist, Michael LaFetra. Aptly named the LaFetra House, the impressive residence is poised on Point Lechuza in Malibu Beach. A gated estate boasting its own drawbridge, Koenig declared it "a perfect jewel."

The three-story, all-glass home touts four bedrooms and baths, polished concrete flooring, radiant heat and solar power. Koenig's last design, the awe-inspiring structure was finished in 2012, eight years after Koenig's death, and is the only beach house the iconic architect ever conceptualized. Now asking $14.495 million—a significant drop from its original asking price of $18.495 million—the stunning property wholly reflects the renowned architect's penchant for designing unique, contemporary residences that allow its residents to be one with nature.

Scottish Island

For those who have always wanted to own their own island in the United Kingdom, Tanera Mòr is now up for grabs. An isle in the Land of Scots, the 766-acre land mass—located in the middle of Loch Broom in the country's Inner Hebrides—is the largest and only inhabited island in the Summer Isles Archipelago.

Previously home to naturalist-philosopher Frank Fraser Darling, Tanera Mòr today has nine houses, six of which are rentable vacation cottages. It also has three jetties, fresh-water lakes and a deep-sheltered anchorage. To boot, the Scottish paradise has its own salmon fish farm, a small sailing school, a cafe and a post office. Long summer days and the Gulf Stream's warm current make Tanera Mòr an ideal locale for beach goers and snorkelers.

Presently on sale, all of the island's properties will be sold exactly as they are presented, fully furnished and decorated (with the exception of a handful of personal items). All island and associated equipment including water vessels, machinery, post office stock and fuel supply can also be purchased separately at a negotiable price.

San Francisco's Le Petit Trianon

An imitation of the original Le Petit Trianon located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in France, this elegant home in Presidio Heights belonging to tech businessman Halsey Minor was built in 1902.

The 17,895-square-foot mansion boasts nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a grand ballroom, four kitchens, nine fireplaces and an elevator. Resting on two-thirds of an acre, the estate has a 2,618-square-foot guesthouse that possesses an additional five bedrooms and three baths. An official San Franciscan landmark, the gilded property is now on sale for $17.995 million.

Click here to see the rest of this real estate hot list.

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TopTenRealEstateDeals.com offers fresh real estate news for luxury and celebrity listings across the United States. Check out a taste of their Top Ten list:

Eddie Murphy Mansion (above)

Murphy met his wife, Nicole, in 1988 and they were married in 1993.  This mansion, now for sale, was their family home until their divorce in 2006.  When it was purchased by the current owner from Nicole in 2007 for $6.1 million, it was the highest price sale in Sacramento.  If it sells for its current asking price, it will still be the largest private real estate sale in the Sacramento area.  Purchased by the owner as an investment, it has not been lived in since the Murphys.  Selling furnished, the decor is that of the Murphys’ including a rare Schimmel Pegasus piano and a “Shrek”-themed bedroom.

Coming in at over 12,000 square feet for the main residence and 5,200 square feet for the guest home totaling 10 bedrooms and 14 baths, both homes rest on a 2.5-acre double lot at the top of Los Lagos overlooking Folsom Lake, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Sacramento skyline.  Included is a 1,200-square-foot gym and wet rooms, screening room, game room and bar, a 9-car garage, pool, spa and tennis and basketball courts.

Eddie Murphy’s former Sacramento, California home, now on the market for $12 million.

Chicago Movie Murder Loft

In the 1993 movie thriller, “The Fugitive,” Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is a Chicago surgeon whose wife is murdered by a one-armed man. Dr. Kimble was apparently a fan of modern architecture. The movie murder home where Mrs. Kimble met her demise is ultra contemporary with walls-of-windows, tall walls, brilliant lighting, indoor swimming pool, even a glassed floored catwalk.

Built in 1981 in the Old Town section of Lincoln Park, any “fugitive” would be thrilled to hide out in this Chicago home with its cutting-edge airy architecture. The townhouse grew another two floors in a 1990s addition and is filled with light, soaring ceilings and glass walls with views of trees and greenery through every opening.  It’s all drama in wide open spaces with a modernist twist of black metal staircase and the glass catwalk over the great room.  The home is 6,200 square feet with three master suites with fireplaces with a total of five bedrooms and six baths.  It also has a sauna, an elevator and a three-car garage with roof deck.

“The Fugitive” was filmed in this super contemporary Chicago home.  Asking $3.65 million.

Frank Lloyd Wright Beach House

Andrew and Maude Jones started writing to Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951 in the hope he would agree to design their Virginia dream home.  It was a long process with stops and starts and redesigns, but they finally received the completed home plans in 1957.  The couple didn’t start building until 1959, just two weeks before Mr. Wright’s death.  The home was completed in 1960 on Crystal Lake in Virginia Beach.  Wright designed the home to take full-view advantage of the woodland and dunes along the water.

Wright’s Usonian design incorporated his passive solar hemicycle aesthetic of a sweeping half circular design leading the eye to the dunes and lake.  The street side elevation was enclosed to separate the family from prying eyes and street noise.  The drive leading to the house is further sound deadened and made private by stands of loblolly pines and underplantings of large azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, magnolias and cherry trees.  Diverted by the conservative entrance, first-time guests would never expect to walk in and see the lake through the long curve of solid glass.  Mr. Wright liked to create drama.

After twenty-three years in the home and the passing of her husband, in 1983, Maude decided it was time to sell.  Daniel and Jane Duhl were the buyers.  Daniel, a textile engineer and a legend in the textile industry, first gained fame in the 1960s by developing a casement drapery fabric that didn’t droop and went on to develop a non drooping fabric slat for shades.  As an engineer, he had deep appreciation of Wright’s work and he and his wife set about a total restoration of the property, for which an award for preservation from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) of Hampton Roads was bestowed.  During the restoration, the Duhls added air conditioning to preserve the house from humidity, and a 14-foot swim-spa was installed in a stepped-down terrace.  To hide the pool’s mechanical equipment, they built a large underground bunker into a dune which housed the equipment as well as a sauna and gym.  They also added two docks on the lake, one a floating dock for small boats and a large dock that can accommodate two large yachts.  In addition to these amenities, the house also has a double carport and a servant’s suite.  This is the only Wright home with boating access to the Atlantic Ocean.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s passive solar hemicycle beach house in Virginia Beach is for sale at $3.75 million.

Abraham Lincoln's Telegrapher

History buffs looking for authenticity in a home with Civil War and presidential connections might want to take a look at the Albert B. Chandler Residence in Vermont.  Albert Chandler, in later years a distinguished philanthropist after pioneering America’s communications industry, was Abe Lincoln’s telegrapher at the young age of 22.  According to the book “The Successful American,” Chandler entered the U. S. military telegraph service in 1863 as cipher operator in the War Department at Washington, D. C.  He was soon promoted to disbursing clerk for General Thomas T. Eckert, superintendent of the Department of the Potomac, in addition to his duties as cipher operator. Here he became personally acquainted with many officers of the Civil War government, and particularly with President Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.  He went on to become a notable architect of the American communications industry.  In later years he was a much beloved resident of Randolph, Vermont and the music hall he donated to the town is considered to be one of the best in New England.

The home that Chandler built in Randolph as his personal residence is now on the market.  Sited on 11.95 acres with a detached carriage house, chapel (former monastery) and large barn, the property has 13,492 square feet of living space with six bedrooms and four baths.  Listed on the National Registry of Historic Homes, the Italianate-style home was built by skilled craftsmen with handmade moldings, doors, mantles and plaster work on the high ceilings. All of the home’s living areas are graced with fireplaces and stained glass windows.  Modern mechanical systems have been installed without affecting the original beauty of the home.  Even with the existing outbuildings, there are still a number of buildable acres.

The Albert B. Chandler Residence in Vermont with ties to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, now for sale.  Previously listed at $895,000, now priced at $795,000.

Pennsylvania Compound & Retreat

It takes a woman with vision, a lot of persistence and money to take an old Pennsylvania farmstead and turn it into an artistic, magical retreat.  Such was the case with Esther Dormer.  A founder of the venture capital fund, Future Fund, Esther was looking for a place in the country close to Pittsburgh as a getaway spot for herself, her airline-captain husband and their two young children.  It was love at first sight and she bought it on the spot for the full price on her first visit.  Knowing nothing about farming but with 150 acres of tillable land, Dormer realized she could grow nutritious food for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank that would be of higher quality than the usual canned donations.  Dormer jumped right in to the farm work and worked it for seven years.  It gave her children a hands on education about how food is produced, and though there were volunteers to harvest the crops, everyone pitched in.  When the children got older and their interests became more peer-related, Esther decided it was time to do something creative with the property.  The buildings and landscape slowly morphed into works of art and inspiration.  The final result, with crystal chandeliers next to worn barn wood, mossed-mirror frames, to firelight flickering in containers around the property at night, creates a magical atmosphere for living and entertaining.

Now going to absolute auction on May 6th, the highest bidder will win a retreat that has been featured on Bravo’s “Property Envy,” “The New York Times” and numerous design magazines.  Included are 150 rolling acres only 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, with guest house, recreation club, entertainment pavilion, two glass conservatories, seven stocked ponds, waterfall and amphitheater that seats 800 people.  The property comes fully furnished with such artistic treasures as a pool table covered in hammered, studded aluminum.

Pennsylvania retreat admired by decorators around the globe, going to auction on May 6th.  Selling absolute.

http://grandestatesauction.com/pittsburgh-pa/

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Photos courtesy of TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

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